As the puck drops on the 2018-19 season, it appears to be the year of the young guns for the Tigers women鈥檚 hockey team, with 11 first-year players on the roster.
Following the graduation of two of the Tigers leading scorers, the team will now look to veterans Danika Phillips and Tara Morning to lead the charge to the net.
To help compliment them, head coach Sean Fraser spent the summer heavily recruiting talent up front.
Brooklyn Paisley should be a huge help on the offensive end for the Tigers, coming off of a fantastic junior career in Vancouver. Her scoring ability was demonstrated thoroughly during those years, including 56 goals and 31 assists in the 2016-17 season.
鈥淏rooklyn is a pure scorer. Her release around the net is quick and deceptive and very difficult for goalies,鈥� says Fraser. 鈥淪he has proven she can score goals at every level she鈥檚 played, and we are confident she will continue to do the same here.鈥�
Joining her at forward will be Elizabeth Klimm, Nicole Hegyi, Kennedy Whelan, and Amy Wilson; all four are highly-touted offensive talents who should be able to make an immediate impact on the ice.
Also joining the Tigers for her first season is Katrina Mitton, who will look to make a difference at both ends of the ice by contributing offensively from the blue line.
The defensive end will need to be a focus for this year鈥檚 Tigers playing in front of goalie Fabiana Petricca, after they allowed the most goals against in the league in the 2017-18 season.
Despite that, the Tigers finished with a 12-12 record, good for fourth place in the conference and a playoff berth.
If the Tigers can tighten up play in their own end and the young team can improve their offensive output over last season, then it should be a year to remember for the Tigers.
The Tigers started their 2018-19 campaign last night against their crosstown rival, Saint Mary's. A thriller of a game, the Tigers eventually lost 3-2 in OT.